Lightning-rod.



J. Z. GURNUTT & E. E. LLOYD.

LIGHTNING ROD. APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1912.

1,061,824. Patented May13,191 3.

WITNESSES l/WEIITOSS ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN Z. GURNUTT AND ELDON E. LLOYD, 0F MARYVILLE, MISSOURI.

LIGHTNING-ROD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 9, 1912.

Patented May 13, 1913.

Serial No. 689,633.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN Z. CURNUTT andELDoN E. LLOYD, citizens of the United States, and residents ofMaryville, in the county of Nodaway and State of Missouri, have inventedan Improvement in Lightning-Rods, of which the following is aspecification.

As is Well known, the efliciency of a lightning-conductor dependslargely upon the amount of the exposed surface which is free, or out ofcontact with any other; and the object of our invention is to provide aconductor or rod having a maximum free surface and minimum weight. Tothis end, we have devised the construction and combination of partshereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inWhich Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of our cable or rod properand a top or point secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of thesame. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a section of the cable showing therelative arrangement of the several wires composing it. Fig. 4 is atransverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview showing a modification of the cable in respect to the wiresinterposed between and separating the tension wires from the conductorsproper. Fig. 6 is a plan View of another modification of the spacingwire which is coiled about the tension wire.

The cable or rod proper comprises a series of central tension wires 1,which, of course,

also serve as conductors; a series of spirally wound wires 2,surrounding the tension wires 1, and serving as the main conductors; anda spiral Wire 3, wound spirally about the tension wires 1 and thusinterposed between them and the spiral conductors 2.

The tension Wires 1 are straight and laid together. The spirally woundwire 3 may be constructed in various ways, but, as shown in Figs. 2 and3, it consists of a stout wire around which a smaller one is woundspirally in such manner that the convolutions are slightly separated,that is to say, separated sufiiciently to form a space that will admitone of the outer conducting wires. In other Words, the conducting wires2 severally lie in the spaces between the convolutions of the spiralWire 3 and are thus separated from each other without possibility ofever coming in contact. The intermediate Wire 3 thus not only serves forseparating the conductors proper 2 from the tension wires 3, butalso'holds the conductors 2 separated from each other. By this means weproduce a cable that has great tensile strength, but has also a largeconducting surface which is formed of many wires that are as free aspracticable from contact with other media.

In Fig. 5, we illustrate a slight modification in which the spacingmedium 3 is formed of two wires twisted together, the conductors 2 inthis instance lying between the adjacent twists or convolutions of thetwo wires. It is also practicable to form the spacing medium of asingle, spirally twisted wire 3 such as illustrated in Fig. 6. Theseveral parts of the cable are preferably constructed of copper wire.

The top or terminal 4: illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, is formed of asingle strip of copper whose middle portion is bent or looped around thecable and extended to the requisite height and provided at the ends witha series of points. Each of the arms or sections of the strip is curvedin cross section, as shown best in Fig. l. .The top or terminal issecured to the cable by means of elbows 5, which are clamped together bya screw 6, which intervenes the two parts of the terminal, and themembers of the terminal are further secured together by clamps 7 and ascrew 8, the latter passing between the members, the same as in the caseof the screw 6. We thus produce a terminal which is composed of a singlepiece having no joints and the entire surface of the metal being open tothe passage of electricity; and it is also provided with multiplepoints.

What we claim is 1. A lightning rod comprising central tension wires,outer wires wound spirally around the latter and forming theconducimproved lightning-conductor,

multiple points, and means securing the terpoints, and means forclamping the two 10 minal to the cable and spacing the members memberstogether but holding them separate, thereof from each other,siibstantially as desubstantially as described.

scribed.

8. The improved terminal for a lightning- I conductor, formed of a stripof copper looped at its middle and the extended mem- Witnesses: bersarranged parallel and curved in cross GEORGE L. WILFLEY, section andalso provided With multiple SAMUEL G. GILLAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

